Wes Busse, 28, jumps from an overturned work van operated by Heinz Busse Electric Ltd. after a two-vehicle collision at 8:53 a.m. this morning. Bystanders propped up the vehicle so the two occupants inside could get safely out. Wes, celebrating his 28 birthday today, was sent to hospital with a cut on his arm.

A two-vehicle collision at the corner of Erbsville Road and Keats Way at 8:53 a.m. Friday morning sent one man to hospital.

Bystanders rushed to the scene of an overturned work van operated by Heinz Busse Electric Ltd. The two men inside were conscious and responsive as passing motorists and pedestrians checked on their condition.

The two men unlatched their safety belts as motorists propped up the truck, while another driver called emergency services.

The driver of the van was able to help the injured man out of the cab of the truck and on to the side of the overturned vehicle. With bystanders making sure that the truck was stable and wouldn’t roll any further, one man jumped to the back of the vehicle while the other jumped to the front side.

One of the men in the overturned vehicle had a visible cut on his arm and was bleeding from the wound. He was the only one sent to hospital.

The owner of the overturned truck, Heinz Busse, arrived on the scene and was able to identify the man as his son Wes, 28. He said today, July 4, is his son’s birthday and it was one he wouldn’t soon forget.

He said he thinks the injuries to his son are minor, and he credited the use of seatbelts from keeping both men in his work vehicle from suffering more serious injuries.

He thanked the bystanders who rushed to the scene to check on their condition and make sure the vehicle was stabilized until they were safely out of the vehicle.

“It’s a nice thing to say about this community that people pitch in like that,” said Heinz.

Waterloo Fire Rescue responded to the scene and applied material to dry up a fluid leak from the truck.

Waterloo Regional Police blocked off the intersection for their investigation, and traffic was directed to nearby side roads on the busy portion of Erbsville Road leading into Ira Needles Boulevard. Grand River Transit officials were also on scene to redirect local bus routes.

A tow truck righted the vehicle at around 10 a.m., while the investigation in to the cause of the crash continued.